Filling fork and grid cleaner



' July 7', 1931. I J, F, WE T 1,813,217

FILLING FORK AND GRID CLEANER Filed Dec. 1, 1930 hvenfon Patented I July7, 1 931 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE JACK FAYETTE WEST, OF CANTON,GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER CORPORATION, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ACORPORATION OF MAINE FILLING FORK Ann GRID CLEANER ApplicationfiledDecember 1, 1930. Serial No. 499,202.

This invention has forits object to provide a simple and eflicient meansfor keeping the tines and grid bars of the filling fork mechanism of" anautomatic loom clear from V fly, lint, and other. foreign matter.

The invention has for its furtheryobject to provide means for preventingbouncing or undue vibration of the fillingforkso as to insure its propercooperation with the weft hammer or other operating mechanism.

The invention has for its further object to provide means for preventinga broken or unduly slack filling end from being thrown around the tinesof the fork so as to interfere with the proper action thereof.

These and other objects and features of the invention will appear morefully fro-1n the accompanying description and drawings and will beparticularly pointed out in the claims.

As the invention is concerned entirely with the filling forkmechanism ofan automatic loom, and as the construction and operation of suchmechanisms as well as of the looms in which they are embodied are alliwell known and familiar to those skilled in the art, itis onlynecessary here to illustrate portions of an ordinary type of loom and anordinary type of filling fork mechanism, together with a preferred formof the present invention applied thereto.

In the drawings: t Fig. 1 is a side elevation partially in Verticalcross section of a portion of a loom, a

filling fork mechanism, and a preferred form I of the present inventionembodied therein.

Fig. 2 is a topplan view on a larger scale ner during the'weavingoperation.

As is Well known, such looms are commonly rendered automatic byembodying therein a so-called filling fork mechanism which acts uponbreakage or failure of the .50 running filling to effect a change in theoperation of the loom, such, for example, as either 7 the stopping ofthe loom or the automatic re.- glenishment of the running fillingsupply.

uch a filling fork mechanism usually com prises two main elements,namely, a grid carried by the lay and in front of which lies the path ofthe filling from the shuttle to the cloth and a filling fork pivoted ona fork slide carriedby the breast beam. 5 In the form illustrated, thegrid is shown as comprising a plurality of spaced'and generally U-shapedbars 5 connected at theirfree rear ends to. supports 6 and therebysecured to the lay so that the front portions of the bars standperpendicularly to the raceway 7. This grid is usually mounted in arecess 8 formed in the lay adjacent the edge of the cloth. A fillingfork slide 9 is. mounted to slide forward and rearward on the breastbeam opposite the grid. At its rearward end it has pivoted thereto at 10a fork comprising the depending tines 11 and the forwardly extendinglooped end 12. A weft hammer 13 is fulcrumed at let on the loom frameand is given a forward and backward swinging movementdurmg the operationof the-loom, the for-v ward movement taking place at alternate picks allin the well-known manner. This I weft hammer at itsupper end has pivotedthereto a hook 15 which, when the weft hamm-er swings rearward, passesbeneath the looped end 12 of the fork sothatifthe fork engages the hook,the weft hammer on its forward movement moves the entire'fork slideforward and this movement of the fork slide is utilized all in thefamiliar manner to effect the desired change in the operationof theloom, such as the stopping of the loom or the replenishment of thefilling.

Normally the filling is laid fairly taut in front of the grid bars 5 asthe shuttle is picked to the'detecting side of, the loom, or

that side where the filling fork mechanism is v located. Consequently asthe lay heats up,

' and the tines 11 of the fork tend to pass between the bars 5 of thegrid, the filling will cause the fork to rock and prevent its looped end12 from being caught by the hook 15.

If, however, the filling is absent, due to ex V positioned filling.

haustion or breakage, the filling fork will not rock and consequentlythe hook 15 will catch the looped end 12 and the fork slide will bemoved forward.

It is very essential that the tines of the fork and the bars of the gridbe kept clear from fly, lint, and other foreign material so as to insuretheir proper cooperative action. Furthermore, since the lay beats upwith a sudden blow and since the fillingfork' must be very light, itfrequently happens tha the blow given to the filling fork by the tautfilling and the jar of the parts causes the filling fork to vibrate orbounceso that it fails properly to cooperate with the hook 15.Furthermore, if the filling breaks adjacent the end of the shuttle, itmay snap or be thrown around the tines of the fork, thus interferingwith the proper action of the fork. The present invention obviates allof these difiiculties.

In the preferred form of the invention, a brush comprising a base 17 andbristles 18 is supported in front of the forkwith the bristles facingthe tines and is moved into ongagement with the fork tines when the laybeats up on a detecting pick. The bristles are relatively soft andsufficiently spaced so that they do not interfere with a normallyPreferably the brush is adjustably mounted by thebolt 19 in a slot 20 onanarm 21 secured to the weft hammer 15. The weft hammer, it will beremembered, swings rearward as thelay beats up and thus is available forgiving the required movement to the brush.

It will thus be seen that as the lay beats up and the fork tines comeinto cooperative relation with the grid bars, the brushengages the tinesand grid bars and, when it swings forward, car ies with it any lint,fly, or foreign matter, thus constantly maintainin the tines of thefilling fork and :the bars or the grid clear. It will also be seen thatas the brush comes into engagement with the fork tines justas they arecooperatin with the grid bars, the brush acts to etee the fork andprevent it bouncing or vibra mg so that the proper cooperation ofthefork with the hook 15 of the weft hammer is insured. It will also beseen that the brush engaging the fork tines prevents any broken fillingfrom being thrown or snapped around the fork tines so as to interferewith the proper action of the fork.

There i'sthus provided a very simple and efficient mechanism readilyattached to exist ing looms, economical of manufacture and maintenance,which acts to obviate the objections heretofore noted.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto'be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a loom having a filling fork pivoted.

and a grid carried by the lay and cooperating with the fork, thecombination of a brush and means for supporting the brush in front ofthe fork with the bristles facing the tines and for moving the brushinto engagement with the fork tines when thelay beats up on a detectingpick, thereby to steady the fork, prevent filling from thrown around thefork tines and clear thetines.

2'. In a loom having a. filling fork pivoted on fork slide carried bythe breast beam and a grid carried by the lay and cooperating with thefork, the combination of a brush and means for supporting the brush infront of the fork with the bristles facing the tines and for moving thebrush into engagement with the fork tines and grid. bars when the laybeats up on a detecting pickand brings the said tines and bars intocooperative rela# tion, thereby to steady the fork, prevent filling frombeing thrown around the fork tines and clear the tines and bars.

3. In a loom. having a fillingfork pivoted on a fork slide carried bythe breastv beam, a grid carried by the lay and cooperating with thefork, and a weft hammer extending in front of and moving toward and fromthe fork on alternate picks, the combinationof a brush and means forsupporting the brush on the weft hammer in front of the, fork with thebristles facing the tines whereby the brush isbrought into engagementwith the fork tines when the laybeats upon a ,detecting pickand acts tosteadylthe for-leprevent filling from being thrown around the fo-rkfinesand clear thetines.

4L. In a-loom having a filling fork pivoted on a fork slide carried bythe. breast beam,

a grid carried by the (lay. and cooperating with the fork; and aweft-hammer extending in front of'an'd moving toward and from the,

fork on alternate picks, the combination of a brush and means forsupporting the brushv on the weft hammer in front;of gthe fork JackiWEST--

